Perhaps Anna Hazare finally realised that he had been used as a pawn in a larger game, a puppet set up as a front for people who had other agendas. And that is why, on his return to his village of Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare has disbanded what was known as “Team Anna”. This committee was constituted, he said, to fight for the Jan Lokpal Bill. But the government ignored the last fast and scuttled the passage of the bill through Parliament. There was no need for a core committee any more therefore.

Hazare has been outspoken in his contempt for politicians. His work as a social activist saw him pitted against government and politicians. In the last days of the recent fast in New Delhi he obviously twigged on that he was being manoeuvred into what for him was an untenable position — the political arena.